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Tag! You’re It! All About #Hashtags

You may think of Tag as a game or as a place where you find a price or a size, but in tech tags have a very different meaning. Tags, or Hashtags, have become so common that they’re even appearing on Facebook now. While Twitter made Hashtags popular, Hashtags are being used much more widely now.

What are Hashtags?

Hashtags are words, phrases, and acronyms following the # symbol. The words can be invented, such as #WhatMakesMeHappy, but cannot include spaces:

#ThisIsAProperHashTag

#This is not

Using capital letters in multiple word hashtags can help readers decipher the tag.

Why Use Hashtags?

Tagging makes searching easier and more focused. Searching on Twitter and now Facebook using Hashtags can help you find what others are posting. When you search on Twitter, you see what others are tweeting using that Hashtag. When you search on Facebook, you can see posts according to privacy restrictions from your friends and from Pages.

If you want to see what your friends are saying about the latest episode of Mad Men, search for #MadMen on Facebook. If you want to see what the world is saying, search for it on Twitter.

You can also use Hashtags to make sure others find your posts and tweets. Make your ideas findable by adding a Hashtag at the end.

#ThisIsAGreatIdea

Where to Use Hashtags

You can tag posts on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram and Google Plus. Google recently announced that it will automatically add Hashtags to posts, though you can add other Hashtags as well.

To see which Hashtags are trending, check the #Discover tab on the Twitter menu. Click on a Hashtag in Twitter to see other tweets using that Hashtag.

Tagging is vital to Twitter Chats. If you don’t use the proper Hashtag, others in the chat won’t see your message. Make sure you’re joining in the conversation by using Hashtags

You can also tag your files to find them more easily. Evernote allows tagging as does the new updated OSX Mavericks operating system from Apple.

The Wonder of Tech uses tags for every article. You can find the Tag Cloud at the bottom of every page to search topics easily.

Facebook Tagging

Facebook is introducing tagging as part of its new Open Graph search. You can search for tags on pages and on posts you’re authorized to see, according to security settings. Facebook tagging is still quite limited however. Unfortunately, you can’t yet limit your searches by who posted it. For example, you can search for #GameofThrones on Facebook, but you can’t search for “#GameofThrones posts by my friends.”

Facebook tagging is being introduced gradually. If you don’t have it yet, don’t worry, you should get it soon.

Finding the Best Hashtags

Finding the best Hashtag can be a challenge. If you want your post, photo, video, etc. to be seen by the most people, choosing the proper tag is important. Many people suggest using no more than two Hashtags per post or tweet so you have to make them count.

Advertisements and TV shows now often suggest Hashtags to make sure that viewers are seeing each others’ tweets and to try to become a trending topic on Twitter. You know when tagging appears on the screen of TV shows that it has become part of popular culture.

Be creative. Make up your own Hashtag. Who knows? Your newly created Hashtag might soon be Trending on Twitter!

Hashtag Services

#RiteTag is a new service designed to help people find the most popular tags on social media sites so they can maximize the exposure of their posts. Saul Fleischmann, one of the founders of #RiteTag, recently made a video showing how #RiteTag works to help people come up with the proper tags, using The Wonder of Tech as an example:

With #RiteTag you can find popular tags and tweet from the site. You can send out your tweet instantly or schedule a tweet for later. You can also see analytics of your top-performing tags. #RiteTag is still in beta/experimental mode but you can request an invitation to try it out at the #RiteTag website.

Hashtagify.me is a service that can show you related hashtags in a visual diagram that shows you how popular each related hashtag is. You can also see top influencers for each hashtag.

Not every hashtag is covered, but over 15 million of them are so you should be able to find the most popular ones on the site.

Social Mention can show you where Hashtags (and other terms) are mentioned across various social platforms.

Twubs allows you to register Hashtags so you can claim them, for a Twitter Chat for example, and follow Hashtags to see where they are mentioned.

Your Thoughts

Where do you use Hashtags? Have Hashtags ever helped you located something you wouldn’t have been able to find otherwise? Are you excited about Hashtags coming to Facebook? How do you find the best Hashtag to use? Let us know in the Comments section below!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Yes indeed, I do use them a great deal and have been doing that on Twitter and Google+ for a long time now. Adding a few meaningful tags to your posts ensures that they reach a wider audience too, so it’s all the more beneficial for you. And now even Facebook has introduced HashTags, which makes it all the more interesting.

I did try them on Facebook a couple of times, but as you mentioned, it will pick up pace gradually. I wonder if adding Hashtags in the comments are as effective as adding them in the status or post, whether it’s on Google+ or Facebook? Do they have the same meaning and reach the same audience? I ask as one of our fellow bloggers suggested to add hashtags within the comments instead of the post on G+, which made me think about it.

Hi Harleena, Believe it or not, I’ve been planning to cover Hashtags since I started this blog but had never gotten around to it. Now that Hashtags have come to Facebook, I decided it was time to finally cover the topic.

Hashtags definitely make it easier for others to find your posts in a search. You would still reach the same audience for your post, using a Hashtag doesn’t change the privacy settings, but it does make the post more visible to your audience.

I shall claim the #neodigital and #neodigitalart tags for my own! Maybe, I’ll even make it #NeoDigital. I’m alread finding hashtags useful on Facebook using #theclockisticking and #countdown

I’ve just come back from a conference. It was supposed to tell me how to live a healthier lifestyle. I read the agenda, smoking cessation, alcohol, advice for heart patients and diabetes. I didn’t feel well and the thought of sitting through that in a crowded conference room for 3 hours sent me giving the agenda back. It was totally useless for me! I think that should get the hashtag #wasteoftime 🙂Mike Maynard recently published this awesome post..Psychology | Creativity and blogging

As an experiment, after reading your post, I searched for #blogging on Facebook. Then I edited the photo I posted this morning and added the tag #blogging at the end. The photo I posted came up on top this time.

I have seen that many bloggers use hash tags in wrong way. They tags their blog by a keyword which is not related to his/her post. I think it is one type of spamming. What do you think about it?
Waiting for your reply. Thanks

I can see the value in Facebook hashtags for business but cant see them working from a personal account. Most people have their personal profile set to private so you’ll only get to see your own friends.

Hi Mark, Good point, but I think when Facebook’s search becomes more powerful, hashtags will become even more valuable. If you want to see what your friends think of #WorldWarZ or #UnderTheDome, you would be able to search just your friends’ comments and read their opinions. That may be more relevant to you than reading tweets from strangers.Carolyn Nicander Mohr recently published this awesome post..Instagram – Get Social with Your Photos!

The man behind HashTags is no doubt a genius . Due to his efforts , people are now able to find Topics of discussion at just a single click .As you mentioned in your post , i find it interesting to know that there are some websites dedicated to hashtags .. as a blogger i should visit those sites to find out tags related to blogging (So that i can get some ideas on blog topics) . Thanks for sharing those services.

Carolyn,
This is a much needed post about hashtags. I especially appreciate the list of hashtag services and the video that you embeeded. This will make a great share! Lots of people are asking about hashtags now that Facebook is including them.Sherryl Perry recently published this awesome post..Design Tips for Social Entrepreneurs – 5 Ways to Maximize your Impact

Hi Sherryl, I’m so glad this was helpful to you! Yes, hashtag services can help you make the most of your hashtags. Check out #RiteTag and see if you think their service would be helpful to you. After I requested an invitation, I received the reply email very quickly.Carolyn Nicander Mohr recently published this awesome post..Meet the New Google Maps!

Hi Elizabeth, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m so glad you found this helpful. Hashtags sound simple, but there is a lot to learn about them so you can use them effectively.Carolyn Nicander Mohr recently published this awesome post..Best of The Wonder of Tech: Top 100 Articles (So Far)

I don’t think I’ll ever get use to hashtags Carolyn. I guess the reason I haven’t really used them much is I don’t search or should I say I haven’t searched for content on social media sites. The ones I have searched for using hashtags it’s kind of like a search on Google when nothing relevant comes up. I hate that!

Now because they are so popular I really am doing my best to include them more. I admit still not being totally on top of them which is why I joined Saul’s site so I could hopefully improve.

You gave us a great explanation though and some useful resources that should be able to help us in finding the more popular ones at least.

Great post and now that Facebook is in on this I guess I better get my act together.

Hi Adrienne, I think the more you use hashtags the more comfortable you will be with them. I actually use them a lot in Twitter Chats and to find out more information about a topic in a tweet.

With Big Brother starting next week, they will probably be suggesting hashtags during their shows. Look for #HOH hashtags soon!

Even if you don’t use hashtags to search, others do which is why you want to include them in your tweets and posts. I’m glad you signed up for #RiteTag, Adrienne. That should help show you which of your hashtags are most effective! :-bdCarolyn Nicander Mohr recently published this awesome post..BookBub – The Scoop on the Best eBooks at the Best Prices!

Carolyn, #RiteTag looks to be a great service. I’ll definitely be requesting an invite. Right now, I only use hashtags on twitter. Maybe I should definitely be looking to implement this more effectively. Also, I didn’t know that Google has made hashtags automatic on google plus, which is actually great for those of us with not much time on our hands.Frank Cern recently published this awesome post..Next Google Pagerank Update

Hi Frank, You’re right, having automatic hashtags in Google Plus posts is very handy. The tags chosen by Google may be more effective, though not always. It’s good to check and see if the hashtag is relevant. Don’t be afraid to add your own as well.

Yes, the fact that Facebook is adding hashtags to its search capabilities is further evidence that hashtags are becoming increasingly powerful. All the more reason to learn as much as possible about them!Carolyn Nicander Mohr recently published this awesome post..Best of The Wonder of Tech: Top 100 Articles (So Far)

Carolyn, I love using #hashtags everywhere but am careful not to overdue. I love the services you introduced here so we can choose what ones will work best. This is great! I’ve used social mentions in the past and it’s a great service to monitor what people are talking about on the social channels. Love your title btw Carolyn.Lisa recently published this awesome post..Twitter Jail For 48 Hours – It Could Happen To You Too!

Many thanks for including RiteTag, Carolyn. Any questions, or help with getting things done by, as we say, “reaching beyond your followers,” welcome one and all to find me in G+ – where I’m on early and often.Saul Fleischman recently published this awesome post..Branding and Engagement with #hashtagsonfacebook

Hi Carolyn. Thank you very much for mentioning hashtagify.me. We are going to release new, very interesting features pretty soon. Stay tuned and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me 🙂

I’ve been using hashtags for a while, but I haven’t really thought much about it. But now, things are finally starting to happen with a client of mine. What I’m looking for is a way to create stats on the use of hashtags (one hashtag to be specific). Do you know if there’s a service that tracks how often a hashtag has been used, and one that compares through time, for instance one month to the next?

Hi Carolyn! As I promised I’m here to announce you that we published our new free feature which for now is in private beta. 🙂 To make you an account I need your e-mail address. You can write me here: support@cybranding.com .Hear you soon

Thank you so much Tatiana. I’ve been looking at Cybranding and it looks great. But, I’m just wondering if you’ll be offering white label reports. I’d love to create reports for my clients with my own logo and brand.

I often forget about them and then I notice if someone Tweets something of mine they add them. I then think why didn’t I think of that!

I’m going to have to come up with a Hashtag of my own now and register it on Twubs! I’m sure I saw a space to put my own Hashtag on my theme somewhere. I never really considered it before but maybe I should!

Hi Manny, You are so right! The misuse of Hashtags can be very annoying. Those who overuse Hashtags can hide their message in a forest of ##### symbols. Those who use incorrect Hashtags can mislead us to irrelevant articles.Carolyn Nicander Mohr recently published this awesome post..How to Keep Your Mobile Devices Charged when You’re on the Go!

I can’t for the life of me understand what the point of hashtags are…? I just now saw that facebook started using them, but still don’t get the point. Do I understand correctly that it is its own kind of search engine?

Hi Brittany, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Great question. It certainly looks as if Facebook is starting to compete with Google for search queries. This move by Facebook to include searchable hashtags gives both users and Facebook much more power. It will be interesting to see how Facebook’s Open Graph Search develops in the future.Carolyn Nicander Mohr recently published this awesome post..How to Keep Your Mobile Devices Charged when You’re on the Go!

Zuck really knows well, on how to keep its users engaged on FB! #tags is indeed a kewl thing on FB.

Whats going on in my mind is, will Google ever use the FB #tags in its search engine algorithm? As #tags helps to gather the content on a topic on FB, Larry Page & Sergey Brin might be having something in their mind!Zainil Dedhia recently published this awesome post..Top Five Temporary Email Address Generators

Hi Zainil, Great point! Will Facebook every open its site up to search results in Google? Or would Facebook use Google in its search results? Interesting idea. Perhaps you should have lunch with Mark, Larry and Sergey to suggest your brilliant idea to them! :-bd

Lunch with Mark, Larry & Sergey !?!?! 😯 It would be a dream come true for me! 🙂 🙂
But I am sure that the Internet Kings i.e. Mark, Larry and Sergey would be surely thinking about these things.. #tags would be a high revenue generating source for all, by helping the world to get better search results! 🙂

I find some folks are not aware of using hastags properly in some scenarios. They do because they told they are helpul. Well, may be they are getting more attention. I’m not sure though. #They #just #use #hastags #everywhere and it makes no sense.

When the news is out about Facebook hashtags, I thought it’s gonna be an obsession following Google+’s automatic hastag usage. However as I get to know, I found hashtags are pretty cool for businesses. They really are! I like how brands use their unique hashtags. But when it comes to broad topics, it’s information overload I guess. Anyway yet I’m not fond of checking out hashtag streams or lists though 🙂

I really love the usage of hashtags on Twitter 🙂 Usually I’m using hashtags there. Actually I wasn’t digging into what tweets being shared in popular streams though. But when it comes to special events, I find hastags are really cool way to follow the updates.

Hi Mayura, Yes, you’re right. Overuse of hashtags can hurt readers’ eyes and lose the effectiveness of the tool. It’s best to use only relevant hashtags that bring readers to your information.

More and more sites are using hashtags, so they’re becoming more and more effective. The more we learn about how to use them the better off we will be!Carolyn Nicander Mohr recently published this awesome post..How to Create App Folders for Your iPhone and iPad